Garnet Hill and the Ely Benchmark

Garnet Hill Recreation Area

Bristlecone Field Office BLM

(map link)

I stopped by the Bristlecone Field Office, AKA the Ely District Office, to pick up the lovely Ely District Recreation Opportunities map and see what else they might recommend. They seem to be really pushing the Garnet Hill Recreation Area area, although they failed to mention that plans are afoot to improve the site. For now, it has good access roads, a picnic site, and two camping areas are mentioned although their locations are not even hinted at. I probably found one of them and used it as a staging area for a hike wandering the hills to the Ely Benchmark (which happens to be on a 1000 foot prominence peak), then back to tag what Peakbagger calls Garnet Hill. On the way, I also tagged a slightly better (by a peak bagger's standards) "Garnet Hill" with another benchmark on its side.

The often used camping area is high up, so there's already panoramic views of the copper mine and its colorful tiers of waste rock.

I started off east along a rough road that sticks closely to the ridge line. There are a couple more well used sites along it, then it just travels.

The Schell Creek Range to the east.

Looking back over that traveling road to what Peakbagger calls Garnet Hill (right).

As I went east, the easy, rounded hills started to have sudden and sometimes high cliffs. They make the hills a little more picturesque.

A little bit of cliff beside a road that drops to the mine below.

I noticed on the USGS map that there was a section marker near to where I would pass and decided to make an attempt. This did seem to be a benchmark motivated hike after all, the more the merrier. It was a little north of the map point, but I got it.

One section marker with eye catching post nearby.

The section marker. It's a long way from the Mount Diablo initial point.

Ahead is that which Lists of John and the National Map call Garnet Hill.

I had to drop down quite a bit to continue on to the real Garnet Hill and I managed to make a wrong turn along the way. Certain I hadn't seen the right road, I just made my way cross country to find the saddle west of Garnet Hill. It looked like a steep climb with a variety of cliffs to run into.

The top of Garnet Hill is not entirely guarded by cliffs.

The road ends by the saddle, so the rest of the way is cross country. I did manage to navigate that well, missing the worst of the loose and steep slopes as well as the cliffs.

Peaks to the north.

An old juniper beside a cairn placed to mark the top of Garnet Hill.

The top of Garnet Hill was nice, but I soon made my way down a little to the Lane benchmark. This sits at the top of a high cliff, so it has quite a view to the south. It does include the pit of the pit mine across the highway and a much lesser used mining area about the community (three boarded up houses?) of Lane. Not entirely unused, it seems, as I watched a digger slowly make its way along one of the track roads.

The view from near the top toward Ely, although the city is obscured by the hill with the Ely benchmark (close left).

Northeast along the Poleline Road to the Schell Creek Range.

Looking right into the pit of Robinson Mine.

The Lane benchmark is not labeled, but there's benchmark #2.

The way forward to the Ely benchmark, just have to find a way.

Juniper trees also take on tortured forms in the exposed areas.

The digger inches along the road below.

Turning east, I found a slope that wasn't too hard to navigate down. It was not too steep and the cliffs tended to small and easy to walk around. One was short and easy to climb down. I arrived at road near a ruined cabin. I decided to keep to ridge rather than dropping along the road to make my way toward the Ely benchmark.

Passing the odd collapsing mine.

Eventually I hit road, but then I found a trail winding upward. It didn't seem wide enough to be official, but did take a sensible if a bit shallow route upward. I eventually left it for a more direct climb to the high point of this hike at the Ely benchmark.

No stamping on the Ely benchmark either. Boo.

The view of Ely, Nevada from the Ely benchmark. It's huge! They've got a grocery store and a ranch store! More of the Schell Creek Range behind it.

West to north: Looking back over the ridge I came along with the mine on the left and an antenna near the benchmark on the right.

South to west: Another look at the mine and ridge with Garnet Hill, now with Ward Mountain (left) behind it instead of behind a tree.

I couldn't stay long. It was already late and the sun goes down so early. I turned back and generally followed roads. I did try out an older road rather than walk one I came up and found it just stops, so had to cut down again. The roads drop and climb a lot at one spot, so I cut across there close to where I'd crossed the other way.

Approaching Garnet Hill from the east.

I followed some roads across the south face of Garnet Hill. I was sure they would go through to the saddle one way or another. They aren't mapped that way, but the distance is so short and it had sort of looked like steep road gets to the saddle from the south. They don't. Short doesn't matter much if the slope is steep and loose. It's just erosion from the saddle, no road.

Far below the Lane benchmark.

Apparently not a place where Jeeps have struggled upward. It connects to nothing below.

But once back to the saddle west of Garnet Hill, I was on easy street, at least for walking. The bit of road I had missed isn't getting much use currently and there were a couple trees down on it and plenty of growth down the middle.

The flat east of the Garnet Fields.

I noted the intersection and no reason I should have missed it. I remembered seeing the fire ring someone has built next to it. I followed the road down toward the access road, which is wide and compacted and only a little washboarded. Garnets are scattered across it. The rocks probably roll onto the road and the cars crush the bits that aren't garnet. They break up the garnets some too. Once near the main parking, there's a track road to the top. I headed up it to tag one more peak even though it is tragically not adorned with any benchmarks.

Garnet Hill (left) from the Garnet Fields high point.

The low sun reflects from some ranch ponds to the west.

I followed trail back to the main parking area, then to the camping area. It was lined with holes dug by garnet searchers. I didn't look much on the hill. All the garnets I found were along the road.

A little of the facilities.

Downhill to get back to camp.

Sunset from near camp.

My collected garnets including one still in a rock.

*photo album*




©2023 Valerie Norton
Written 30 Dec 2023